Hi everyone, my peach tree had quite a few branch tips which are damaged, they look almost like they are burnt. The damage is not only on the bark but extends to the core (see bottom pic) for a little ways down from the tip. I cut the damaged tips but wanted to know what could have caused this and whether I should be concerned.
Oriental fruit moth damage. They bore into the branch tips. Later on into the fruit.
1 Like
Thanks for answering what is clearly a pretty stupid question. I figured it couldn’t be since the trees are new and didn’t actually produce fruit but I guess they like the trees as well.
1 Like
It is not a stupid question. Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM) and plum curculio are enemy #1 to many of us in the east coast. OFM and PC have caused so much damage to fruit, esp. stone fruit. The sooner you learn about them, the better you could be prepared.
Here is good info about OFM.
2 Likes
Deer?
1 Like
I believe mamaung and fruitnut are correct in identifying OFM. It could also be borers but I do not see trunk damage. Cutting open the tips did not reveal any larvae so I am not 100% sure.
Borers don’t go in through tips of shoots. Sometimes larvae develop, other times not. You do not always find a worm when you cut open shoots.
Thanks mamaung. I may have confused damage from peach twig borer vs. peach tree borer. I had cut open quite a few shoots, at least a dozen, but had not found anything.
In our area, we don’t encounter peach twig borers. Peach tree borers are plentiful. Watch out for that. If you search for organic prevention on this site , pure neem oil applying at the base of thevtree is recommended.